Draco
Being in the hospital wing was nice, if not terribly boring.
Although, to be fair, I was only bored during the times Harry wasn't around to get my mind off things.
And the only times Harry wasn't around were when he had to visit the men's room, or fetch me new blankets.
I got bored really easily.
After Dumbledore left, Harry glanced at me shyly.
"Do you want clothes? I could get some for you."
I'd grinned at him. "No, I'm fine. It's fun making you nervous."
He'd blushed, and teasing him had been worth it.
After some time I grew uncomfortable. Being huddled underneath my blankets all day wasn't exactly how I planned spending my day off with Harry would be like. I searched for my wand, before realizing that it was probably still tucked in the back pocket of my jeans, which was probably still in the bathroom I'd been in the night before.
Sighing in irritation, I resolved to wait until Harry came back from the gent's. The boy had a bladder the size of a pea.
While I was waiting, I heard the hospital door open. I groaned - I really wasn't in the mood for any visitors.
I'd expected Ron and Hermione - it surprised me how easily and naturally their names came, even after six years of lunging at each other's throats, and that one time when Hermione had punched me in the face in third grade - to be the ones looking for Harry, but to my surprise, it wasn't them.
"Draco?"
It was Pansy. She didn't sound like her usual snobbish self - in fact, she sounded afraid and uncertain.
I sat up a little straighter, clutching at my blankets. I was mentally raging: why hadn't I gotten dressed sooner?
Oh, yeah. To make Harry blush.
I cursed under my breath and drew my blankets around my shoulders, hoping to hide the map of black lines that ran up my neck.
Pansy Parkinson was a sweetheart when you got to know her, but she wasn't terribly good at keeping secrets. I didn't want to have to explain my scar to her.
Since I was the only one in the hospital wing, Pansy spotted me soon enough. I saw how her concerned, taut face made way to a relieved, blooming smile, and I almost forgave her for interrupting my privacy.
She hurried over to me and promptly occupied the armchair Harry had been sitting in only minutes before. I frowned at her, but I didn't think she saw it.
She was too busy hugging me.
I let her, for awhile, before I made an annoyed sound at the back of my throat. Sensing my discomfort, she let go, only to start up an endless stream of babble.
"I was so worried when you didn't come for Potions this morning - I didn't know what to think, I thought something bad had happened to you -"
I zoned out a little. I knew Pansy meant well, but she, like the hospital wing, could be a bit of a bore.
" - and I thought you were angry at me for prying into your love life with Potter -"
I snapped back to reality. Slowly, so as not to jostle my blankets, I grabbed her wrist.
"Wait, what did you say about Potter?"
Pansy blinked at me, irritation knotting her brow. "Come on, Draco, everyone knows. You and Potter have been missing consecutive classes together, and everytime someone asks Weasley and Granger about it they'd shrug. Oh, and Weasley's sister - the little brat - helped, too."
I felt my mouth turn dry.
"What did Ginny do?" I whispered.
Pansy stared at me weirdly. "Is that her name? How do you know -"
"What did she do?"
Pansy winced - I'd squeezed her wrist harder than I'd meant to.
"She was loudly telling everyone how Potter was - well, how he preferred men," she said. "It was during breakfast this morning, Finnigan, I think, asked her where Potter was, something about Quidditch, I think, and Weasley - the girl - started laughing and said that she didn't know or care where the faggot was -"
I flinched away from the word, and Pansy mistook the look on my face for disgust.
"I know, it's terrible - and since the both of you were always gone together, everyone sort of figured it out." Pansy shook her head. "Crabbe and Goyle aren't too happy about it, though - they're looking for you."
I didn't give a damn about Crabbe or Goyle - they had never been more than acquaintances. I knew that none of them could stand a chance against me in a brawl. I wasn't too bothered about the fact that everyone knew I had a thing for Harry either - I was used to being alone, being unapproachable. I didn't care what anyone thought of me.
I was more worried for Harry. He was the exact opposite - he had friends, lots of them, and he was pretty well-liked in school. Teachers liked him; the whole wizarding world knew he was the Chosen One. What was he going to do when he finds out that basically the whole school knew he was romantically involved with a Malfoy?
What would happen if word got out about his sexuality? What would happen if, say, Rita Skeeter got wind of his story?
He wasn't going to live it down.
Even if he successfully managed to kill Voldemort somehow, no one would remember him for it.
He'd just be remembered as The Faggot One.
I'd never hated anyone as much as I hated Ginny Weasley right then.
"Pansy, you've got to help me." I was still holding onto her wrist. "Do whatever you can to stop the rumors - please. Even if it means getting Granger to help you devise a curse to quench the rumors, so be it. But please stop them."
Pansy was staring at me, mouth open.
I stared back, and saw her eyes widen.
"Draco, what happened to your -"
At precisely that moment, Harry entered the hospital wing, a bundle of clothing in his arms.
He saw Pansy, sitting comfortably in his armchair, and I feared that he would whip out his wand and hex her. Instead, I saw the notable stiffness in the way he walked, the tightening of his eyes and mouth when he greeted her.
"Pansy."
She nodded at him, staring at him like he was some sort of insect.
I saw Harry's eyes grow guarded as he stared at my hand, tightly clasping Pansy's. I let her hand go immediately, but Harry was already turning away. He bent down and set the bundle on my bed, and I realized that he had gone to the bathroom and retrieved my clothes - and wand - for me.
"If you two need to talk alone, I'll go," Harry said, no trace of anger or disappointment in his voice, and turned away, heading for the door. It broke my heart to see how accepting he was - how strongly he felt that he would never be anyone's first option. It made me want to shower him with kisses - promises that he was worth it, so much.
"Harry, wait!"
He paused, but didn't turn around. I wanted to go after him, but I was still naked underneath the blankets, and I didn't want to flash myself in front of Pansy.
"Pansy came to visit me," I explained, glancing at her. She seemed to understand.
"Potter - Harry," she said, and I could see that she was struggling to keep the malice and sarcasm out of her voice. "I was worried about Draco - he hasn't turned up for classes, so I thought something had happened to him." She paused, then continued, a hint of sadness coloring her tone. "I'm afraid there isn't any chances of us being - involved, not after I've seen how in love he is with you."
I stared at Pansy, stunned. She was stubbornly staring at Harry.
He turned, then looked at me. When I held my hand out, he didn't take it, instead reaching for my maroon sweater in the pile of clothes. He threw it at me, and I deftly caught it.
"Either way, I don't like people looking at what's mine," he said, and shot Pansy a fierce smile. She grinned at him easily, and I could see that they'd forged a grudging sort of friendship.
I smiled, relieved, and shrugged into my sweater.
"Draco - what's that on your neck?"
Fuck.
I stared at Harry, who bit his lip, a sure sign that he was freaking out. He was looking at Pansy, who was staring - no, ogling - at my neck in a sort of fascinated horror.
"Pansy, I can explain - "
"You said the same when I asked you about Harry," she cut me off, scowling. "If you think of trying to tell me that it's some sort of tribal tattoo I am going to hex your ears off."
I sighed. Pansy, much like Hermione - though she would rather turn herself into a wart than admit it - wasn't someone you could reason with once they got stubborn.
"I guess you'd better get yourself comfortable, then," I warned.
Harry moved to stand by my side, a silent vigil. He put a reassuring hand on my shoulder and I leaned into him, seeking his warmth - his strength.
Pansy raised an eyebrow, beckoning me to begin.
I took a deep breath and began.
***
An hour and a half later, Pansy sat back in the armchair, looking pale and stricken. She looked like she'd aged ten years in the space of ninety minutes, and I couldn't blame her - it was a lot for someone to digest. I'd expected Harry to run when I'd told him, but he hadn't, and although Pansy was unpredictable, I expected her to run, too.
Also like Harry, Pansy surprised me.
"Man, Draco - what did you do to get yourself so fucked up?" she asked in a despaired tone, all the while massaging her temples with the tips of her fingers.
I laughed, but most of me felt relieved. Pansy was the closest thing I had to a friend, and I hadn't known how much I'd wanted her to believe me and the crazy story - everything - until now.
"It's a Malfoy thing," I said, grinning.
Pansy shook her head. "The week's barely started and now I already want it to end - first, I find out that the boy I like is gay, next I find out that the boy I like is a vampire - what's up next? Stars falling from the sky? That Filch is really an exotic dancer for the Leaky Cauldron?"
I cringed - I hadn't wanted to imagine something as foul as that.
"Well, you were right - this news really was worth the long wait." Pansy sighed again, and stood up.
"Where are you going?"
Pansy shrugged, looking tired. I pitied her. "Probably going to find a dark corner and nap for awhile before Potions - the two of you are bloody lucky, being able to miss lessons and all - Slughorn's been boring me to death with his long ballads about what a tragic hero Potter is - no offense," she added quickly, seeing my slight frown.
"None taken," Harry said.
"I wish you luck, then," I said, attempting to hide my smirk. I failed, as usual, and Pansy scowled at me.
"Git."
She turned and headed towards the hospital wing door, before turning around and giving us a glare that would've made Snape proud.
"And Draco, don't you dare think it's fine for you to call me up at 3 in the morning to ask me for relationship or sex advice," she warned, narrowing her eyes at me. "I would rather much like not knowing what goes on between the both of you behind closed doors - I'd like to keep my thoughts straight, if you will."
"Oh, don't worry," Harry answered sweetly, "I doubt Draco will have much time to...call you at 3 in the morning. In fact, I think all of his mornings are fully booked."
I laughed at the sight of Pansy's disgusted face, and as she closed the door of the hospital wing, I could distinctly hear her muttering "Hormone-filled, horny bastards!" under her breath.
I turned my face to Harry's, my eyes blazing.
"What are we going to do at 3 in the morning?"
Harry leaned in and kissed me chastely on the nose. "We're going to prove Pansy right."